Steven Soderbergh is a workhorse. He never stops. Ever since unretiring in 2017, he has averaged at least one movie or series a year.
His latest project is called “Full Circle,” an HBO series set to start airing on July 13th. The plot revolves around a botched kidnapping and the mosaic of characters affected by it. The cast includes Claire Danes, Dennis Quaid, Zazie Beetz, and Timothy Olyphant.
Despite it not having even aired yet, Soderbergh has confirmed to Variety that he has two new movie projects lined up next, both of which he wants to “come out theatrically in a normal wide release”. He adds that they’re both genre films and that one of them is a comedy.
The prolific 59-year-old director has moved between psychological thriller, to drama, to comedy, albeit never allowing the films to lose that distinct Soderbergh-ian touch. He’s a genre-hopper, and he does it effortlessly.
He had originally retired in early 2013, clarifying that he had a five-year plan that saw him transitioning away from making feature films when he reached his 50th birthday.
And yet, here we are, it’s a new decade, and, so much for retirement. Soderbergh has released 8 movies in the last 6 years, including 2022’s underrated “KIMI” and this year’s critically panned “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.”
Without a doubt, Soderbergh is a master of the mise-en-scène; without knowing he was behind the camera, you can easily spot one of his movies. He is a very visually-driven filmmaker. He’d rather show than tell the audience what's going on. His style is distinct, sparse and economical, always filled with objectively told narratives.
While we’re at it, what are Soderbergh’s best films? He’s had many good ones, but the titles that truly stand out for me are 1998’s “Out of Sight,” 1999’s “The Limey” and 2000’s “Traffic.”
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.